Repair Reinstall of Windows XP

ColdFusion · Post by **ColdFusion** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 4:08 am

Hey,

I have a Dell laptop computer in my posession which originally came with XP Home. It was upgraded to Windows XP Pro. The person who owns the laptop does not have the CD's or product key. I need to do a repair reinstall of XP but I will need to use one of my Xp Pro cds to do the repair reinstall. I'm afraid that I will be asked for a product key halfway through the setup and it will not accept the key which I have pulled using Magic Jellybean keyfinder (this has happened before to me). Can anyone suggest a way to bypass where it asks for the product key or how if there is a way to get around this?

Thanks
Matt

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:40 am

Was it upgraded with a OEM copy or a VL copy? Most likely it will require a special ISO to do the upgrade but the CD key may also still be valid for the Home use so perhaps repair it with a Home CD then upgrade it again afterward.

ColdFusion · Post by **ColdFusion** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 5:39 pm

Sava700 wrote:Was it upgraded with a OEM copy or a VL copy? Most likely it will require a special ISO to do the upgrade but the CD key may also still be valid for the Home use so perhaps repair it with a Home CD then upgrade it again afterward.

I think the upgrade was done using an OEM version. I think it was a wipe/reinstall of XP pro instead of a proper upgrade of XP home ... but I could be wrong. So your saying I could do a "Non-Destructive Repair Reinstallation" of XP Pro using a XP Home Cd without loosing any of the accounts/programs/settings ?

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 5:42 pm

ColdFusion wrote:I think the upgrade was done using an OEM version. I think it was a wipe/reinstall of XP pro instead of a proper upgrade of XP home ... but I could be wrong. So your saying I could do a "Non-Destructive Repair Reinstallation" of XP Pro using a XP Home Cd without loosing any of the accounts/programs/settings ?

I'm not sure which you have so I can't say anything will really work without knowing for sure. The CD key could be from a home version or a pro version, its hard to tell. But your prob better off just backing up the data and doing a full reinstall first trying the CD key for pro then to home that way you don't risk losing anything.

mnosteele52 · Post by **mnosteele52** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 7:41 pm

Just find a friend with a Dell XP Pro disc, it will not ask for the key.

Sava700 · Post by **Sava700** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 8:08 pm

mnosteele52 wrote:Just find a friend with a Dell XP Pro disc, it will not ask for the key.

I can provide you with a Dell XP Pro SP3 ISO if you need it

ColdFusion · Post by **ColdFusion** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:08 pm

Thanks guys!

One of my good friends actually has a copy of Dell XP Pro

Matt